Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden
Sweden: Terrestrial and marine protected areas was 15.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of total territorial area.
Analysis
In 2025, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden stood at 15.9%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden peaked at 15.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2013.
That places Sweden 81st out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % of total territorial area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.6% | — |
| 2014 | 13.0% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 13.1% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 12.9% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | +16.3% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 14.7% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 15.5% | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 15.6% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 15.9% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.7% | 12.6% | 15.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 14.7% | 15.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 78 Montenegro 16.3% compare
- 79 Uganda 16.1% compare
- 79 United Arab Emirates 16.1% compare
- 82 United States of America 15.8% compare
- 83 South Sudan 15.4% compare
- 84 Dominican Republic 15.3% compare
More climate change data for Sweden
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,738 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 983.81 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,754 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 134.07 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,196 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.388 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden?
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas in Sweden was 15.9% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial and marine protected areas recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2013.
- How does Sweden rank for terrestrial and marine protected areas?
- Sweden ranks 81st out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial and marine protected areas rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine protected areas are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment. Sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.